Independent Recruitment Oversight
Criterion Panel Group provides independent observers to recruitment panels and application sifting processes across the UK. We are not there to run your recruitment. We are there to make sure it is fair, consistent, and defensible at every stage.
Independence
Our presence in the room changes the dynamic. When an independent observer is watching and scoring, the process is taken more seriously, applied more consistently, and documented more thoroughly. Our stamp of approval confirms the process was independently overseen and above board. And that stamp only means something because our independence is genuine.
Experience
Spotting inconsistency, recognising unconscious bias, and knowing when a process is drifting from its own criteria takes experience. Our background spans over a decade in structured, high-stakes assessment environments where process discipline is non-negotiable. We know what fair looks like and we know when it is being compromised.
Flexibility
We attend panels remotely via Microsoft Teams or in person at your site. For organisations within 50 miles of Swansea, in person attendance is included in our standard fees. For organisations further afield, remote observation via Teams is available at a reduced rate. Geography is not a barrier to accessing independent oversight.
Your hiring managers are the subject experts. They know the role, the team, and what good looks like in your organisation. Our role is to sit alongside the panel as an independent professional, ensuring the process is applied consistently, candidates are assessed on equal terms, and every decision is properly documented.
We sit on your panel, observe the interviews, and score each candidate independently against your stated criteria. We watch for inconsistency in how questions are asked, we note where scoring drifts from the criteria, and we ensure every candidate is being assessed on the same basis. At sift stage, we review applications alongside you and ensure shortlisting decisions are criteria-led and documented.
Our independence is what gives our stamp of approval its value. Organisations book us because having an independent observer in the room means their process can be demonstrated to have been fair. That assurance is only worth something because we are genuinely independent.
Afterwards, you receive our written assessment record. It confirms the process was independently overseen, consistently applied, and that every candidate was assessed against the same criteria. That is the document that protects your organisation if a decision is ever questioned.
Talk to us about your next appointment"The most common reason recruitment decisions are challenged is not who was appointed. It is how the decision was made." Good practice in structured interviewing
Application Sifting
The interview is rarely where things go wrong. It is the stage before it that carries the most legal risk and receives the least scrutiny.
Shortlisting decisions are typically made by one or two people, often without independent oversight, and without the kind of contemporaneous documentation that would withstand challenge. When a rejected candidate believes their application was not given fair consideration, organisations frequently find they have very little to show for how that decision was reached.
Discrimination law applies from the earliest point of the recruitment process. A candidate does not need to have been employed to bring a claim. Shortlisting practices can give rise to indirect discrimination where a decision, however unintentional, places a protected group at a disadvantage. And unconscious bias at sift stage is far more common than most hiring managers would care to admit.
An independent reviewer at sift stage changes the picture entirely. Every application is scored against the stated criteria. Every decision is recorded at the time it is made. The shortlist that emerges is one you can stand behind, at interview, at offer stage, and if it is ever questioned afterwards.
33%
of UK business leaders have faced discrimination claims in their organisation
£102k
average tribunal award for age discrimination claims in 2023/24
97k
employment tribunal claims received in the UK in 2023/24, up 13% year on year
Source: Dutton Gregory Employment Tribunal Statistics 2026
Why Criterion Panel Group
Our background spans senior roles in UK law enforcement and operational planning, environments where structured, evidence-based decision making is non-negotiable.
We have no relationship with your organisation, your candidates, or your internal hierarchies. That independence is the point and it's what makes our involvement meaningful.
Every engagement is built around your criteria. We score consistently, record thoroughly, and ensure the outcome is grounded in evidence rather than gut feeling.
We work with organisations of all sizes across public and private sectors. Whether you're appointing a headteacher or a head of finance, the principles of good assessment are the same.
Legal Framework
Fair and lawful recruitment isn't optional. It is a legal requirement. Criterion Panel Group has a thorough understanding of the legislative framework that governs how organisations must conduct their hiring processes, and everything we do is designed to keep you on the right side of it.
Equality Act 2010
All recruitment must be free from discrimination across nine protected characteristics including age, disability, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. Our structured, criteria-based approach ensures every candidate is assessed on merit alone, creating a process that is both fair and fully defensible.
Public Sector Equality Duty 2011
Schools, NHS trusts, universities, and local authorities have a statutory obligation to have due regard to equality in all decisions, including who they appoint. An independent panellist provides documented evidence that this duty has been actively considered and met throughout the recruitment process.
ACAS Code of Practice
Employment tribunals routinely reference ACAS guidance when assessing whether a recruitment process was fair. ACAS strongly advocates for structured, consistent, competency-based interviewing. That is the precise methodology we apply to every panel engagement.
Employment Rights Act 1996
Recruitment decisions that cannot be evidenced or justified are among the most common sources of employment dispute. Our written assessment records and scoring documentation ensure that every appointment decision is grounded in evidence and your organisation is protected from the outset.
Criterion Panel Group has a thorough understanding of all relevant legislation governing fair and lawful recruitment in the United Kingdom. Every panel engagement we undertake is conducted in full accordance with the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty, ACAS best practice, and the Employment Rights Act 1996, so you can appoint with confidence.
Our Approach
Your hiring managers are the subject experts. They know the role, the team, and what good looks like in your organisation. We are not there to second-guess that. We are there to make sure the process around it is fair, consistent, and properly documented.
If you have an existing scoring framework, we observe and score within it. If you need us to bring a structure, we can do that too. Either way, we work quietly alongside your panel, not in front of it.
What does not change is what you receive at the end. A clear, evidenced, written record of the process that demonstrates every candidate was assessed on the same basis.
Before the day, you send us your recruitment policy, person specification, and any scoring framework you use. We read everything carefully so we arrive knowing exactly what fair looks like for this role in your organisation.
On the day, we join the panel in person or via Microsoft Teams. We observe the interviews, score candidates independently against your criteria as each interview progresses, and note anything that requires attention. The hiring manager leads. We watch.
Every candidate is scored against the same criteria in real time. We flag any inconsistency in the process as it happens. Our notes are contemporaneous, which means they are recorded at the time, not reconstructed from memory afterwards.
After the panel, you receive our written assessment record for every candidate interviewed. It documents how each candidate performed against the criteria with scored evidence to support it. It confirms the process was independently overseen, consistently applied, and conducted fairly. That is the document that protects your organisation if a decision is ever questioned.
Transparent Pricing
Single Candidate
up to 45-minute session
Independent observation and scoring for a single candidate interview conducted via Teams. Includes pre-interview criteria review and written assessment record.
Most Popular
up to 4 hours via Teams
Independent observation for a shortlist of 3 to 5 candidates conducted remotely. Includes scoring documentation and written assessment record.
Full Day
up to 8 hours via Teams
Full day independent observation for larger hiring rounds conducted via Teams. Includes full scoring documentation and written assessment record.
Single Candidate
up to 45-minute session
Independent observation and scoring at your site for a single candidate interview. Includes pre-interview criteria review and written assessment record.
Most Popular
up to 4 hours at your site
In person independent observation for a shortlist of 3 to 5 candidates. Includes scoring documentation and written assessment record.
Full Day
up to 8 hours at your site
Full day in person independent observation for larger hiring rounds. Includes full scoring documentation and written assessment record.
In person attendance includes travel within 50 miles of Swansea. For engagements beyond 50 miles, travel costs are charged at cost and agreed in advance. All fees shown exclude VAT. Criterion Panel Group is not currently VAT registered. Sift review is available as a standalone service or as part of a full end to end package — please enquire for details.
About Us
Criterion Panel Group was founded by a senior professional with over 15 years experience across UK law enforcement, border security, and operational planning. This includes frontline policing experience, military service as an Army reservist, and over 13 years in senior roles within the UK Home Office — environments where structured, evidence-based decision making and process integrity are non-negotiable.
Our founder holds a BA (Hons) in Policing Studies, combining academic grounding in law enforcement principles with extensive real-world operational experience.
Our independent observers are drawn from professional backgrounds where impartiality, attention to detail, and adherence to process are not optional extras. We bring that discipline to every recruitment panel and sifting process we attend.
We are based in South Wales and operate nationally, attending panels in person or remotely via Microsoft Teams.
Spanning frontline policing, military service, and senior Home Office operational roles
Upper second class honours — academic grounding combined with operational experience
Based in South Wales, operating nationally in person or via Microsoft Teams
Professional indemnity insurance held with Hiscox, giving clients complete peace of mind
Frequently Asked Questions
We observe. Your hiring managers are the subject experts and they lead the interview. Our role is to sit on the panel, score candidates independently against your criteria, watch for inconsistency or bias, and ensure the process is being run fairly. We are not there to take over.
Both. We attend remotely via Microsoft Teams or in person at your site. Remote attendance is available to organisations anywhere in the UK. In person attendance includes travel within 50 miles of Swansea. Beyond that, travel costs are agreed in advance.
We ask for a minimum of five working days wherever possible. This gives us time to review your documentation and prepare properly. We understand recruitment timelines do not always run smoothly and will always try to accommodate shorter notice where we can.
We work with organisations of all sizes across both public and private sectors. We have no restriction on industry or role type. The principles of fair, impartial, criteria-based assessment apply equally whether you are appointing a nurse, a teacher, or a finance director.
Yes. Criterion Panel Group holds professional indemnity insurance, giving our clients complete peace of mind that they are working with a professional, accountable service.
Our written assessment record is produced specifically to protect you in this situation. Every candidate's performance is documented against the criteria at the time, not reconstructed afterwards. It confirms the process was independently overseen and consistently applied. That contemporaneous record is what stands up if a decision is ever questioned.
Yes. We offer independent sift review as a standalone service or as part of a full end to end package covering shortlisting through to final panel. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.
No. All fees shown are exclusive of VAT. Criterion Panel Group is not currently VAT registered, which means there is no VAT to add on top. The price you see is the price you pay.
Get In Touch
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